324 SHAKESPEARE'S [UNICORN. 



THE horn, growing out of the forehead betwixt the eye- 

 lids is neither light nor hollow, nor yet smooth like other 

 horns, but hard as iron, rough as any file, revolved into 

 many plights, sharper than any dart, straight and not 

 crooked, and everywhere black except at the point. His 

 horn, being put into the water, driveth away the poison, that 

 he may drink without harm, if any venomous beast shall 

 drink therein before him. This cannot be taken from the 

 beast being alive, forasmuch as he cannot possibly be taken 

 by any deceit. The horn of this beast being put upon the 

 table of kings, and set among their junkets and banquets, 

 doth bewray the venom (if there be any such therein) by a 

 certain sweat which cometh over it. There are found in 

 Europe to the number of twenty of these horns pure, and 

 so many broken. 



These beasts are very swift, and their legs have no 

 articles. There was nothing more horrible than the voice 

 or braying of it, for the voice is strained above measure. 

 He feareth not iron, nor any iron instrument. He is an 

 enemy to the lions, wherefore as soon as ever a lion see'th 

 an Unicorn, he runneth to a tree for succour, that so when 

 the Unicorn maketh force at him, he may not only avoid 

 his horn, but also destroy him ; for the Unicorn in the 

 swiftness of his course runneth against the tree, wherein his 

 sharp horn sticketh fast ; then when the lion see'th the 

 Unicorn fastened by the horn, without all danger he falleth 

 upon him and killeth him. These things are reported by 

 the King of Ethiopia in an Hebrew epistle unto the Bishop 

 of Rome. [Topsell describes the way of catching the 

 Unicorn given in the quotation above from Bartholomew, 

 and adds : " Concerning this opinion we have no elder 

 authority than Tzetzes, who did not live above five hundred 

 years ago, and therefore I leave the Reader to the freedom 

 of his own judgement to believe or refuse this relation."] 

 Rich men do usually cast little pieces of this horn in their 

 drinking-cups, either for the prevention or curing of some 

 certain disease. It being cast in wine doth boil. [He 

 avers that spurious Unicorn's horn, made of ivory, was sold 

 by apothecaries and others.] The price of that which is. 

 true is reported at this day to be of no less value than 

 gold. For experience of the Unicorn's horn, to know 

 whether it be right or not, put silk upon a burning coal,, 



